We all know how Antarctica currently is – a massive surface of frozen water with an extremely chilly climate. Have you ever wondered about how Antarctica looked in the past? There was a time when a plant typically growing in temperate forests grew near the south pole. How could such a plant grow there about 90 million years ago when it would not receive light for four months during polar night?
All of us were under the assumption that this was simply not possible. However, in February 2017, a discovery was made which flabbergasted everyone. The fossil remnants of a swampy temperate forest thriving approximately 90 million years ago were found in Antarctica! The remnants of this forest were found in a sediment core sample in the Amundsen Sea (near the Western Coast of Antarctica). The site is located only about 900km from the South Pole. Of course, the condition of Earth then was quite different from how it is currently. The ice sheet in Antarctica was absent at that time due to the strikingly different climate. This sunny climate enabled the rainforest (like the one in New Zealand) to grow and prosper in an area that is now known for being icy. It was also found that the CO2 content in the atmosphere then was much higher than it was expected to be.
The core sample which led to this marvellous finding was collected near the Pine Island Glacier with the help of a portable seafloor drill rig. The different colouration on this sediment layer caught the attention of the researchers. The first analysis of the remnant indicated that the soil layer found below the ocean floor was formed on land! Further, when the sample was exposed to X-ray CT scans, a network of roots was visible in the images and it was preserved so pristinely that even the single-cell structures could be recognized. The researchers also found some pollen and spores in the soil, silt, clay and dust which showed that there were some flowering plants at such high southern altitudes in the Cretaceous period. This discovery broadened the mindsets of people regarding the ancient world. With more exploration, its untold mysteries will soon have answers just like this one.
Today’s Antarctica, 90 million years ago
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